UN ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS FORUM DRAWS TO A CLOSE WITH VIENNA DECLARATION

Forum Attended By Heads of State and Global Foreign Ministers

Vienna, Austria, 28 February, 2013 — Following two days of meetings attended by over 2,000 people from around the world, the UN Alliance of Civilizations 5th Global Forum came to a close. Attendees included youth leaders, representatives from the private sector and civil society, journalists, foundations, alongside governmental and multilateral representatives.

During the two day event, leaders from around the world, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, President Heinz Fischer of Austria, the Emir of Qatar, Shaikh Hamad Al Thani, Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey, Romanian President Traian Basescu and Foreign Minister Margallo of Spain, Foreign Minister Salehi of Iran, and others conducted closed door meetings to address current global issues such as Syria, Mali, Israel-Palestine, and the future of sustainable development.

Forum outcomes included the Vienna Declaration, a document affirming the commitment of numerous governments and international organizations from around the world to advancing cross-cultural dialogue. Austrian Foreign Minister Spindelegger saw the document as a unique opportunity “to further the promotion of intercultural and interreligious dialogue, so that it remains high on the global political agenda.”

Outlining his vision to make the Alliance more active in addressing acute interethnic and inter-religious tensions, the High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, Nassir Al-Nasser, stated, “We will strive to use the tools at our disposal in the difficult settings around the world. We will not shy away from them.”

Hosted by the Austrian Government, the 5th UNAOC Forum brought together more than 2000 people from around the world to Vienna.